Pipe-thread protector



Dec. 30, 1930.

P. E. HUNTER 1,786,491

PIPE THREAD PROTECTOR Filed Aug. 16, 1928 I lllllflllll ATTORNEY stop Patented Dec. 30, 1930 unrrso STATES v PATENT 'QFFIQE PERCY E. HUNTER, OFI ITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA PIPE-THREAD PROTECTOR Application filed August 16, 1928. Serial No. 299,893.

My invention relates to thread protectors, such as are employed in protecting the threads of pipes, shafts, rods, etc. for the purpose of preventing injury theretowhile bein shipped or handled previous to installation.

Since thread protectors are commonly employed but once, be1ng usually discarded entirely or used as scrap when removed from the pipes or rods, it isdesirable to make them as cheaply as possible with due regard,how-

ever, to their effectiveness asprotectors.

Gne object of my invention is to provide a protector that may be lIlOlHGZISllY applied 1 than some oi the forms now employed, and

:e nethod of applyingthe same. j

Some of the various forms which my 111- ventien' may take are shown in the accompanying dr-awingwherein Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a pipe equipped with one form of protector embodying my invention it ig. 2 isya. view taken on the line 1III of 15 3 is a. view-similar to Fig. 1, but showl odified form of protector "is a vi ew taken on the line IV-lV V ,12 5 is aview showing still another form "'otector device. lii 6 i t 5. i V "it" .17 is'a" perspectiveview ofa key or member which may be employed in the structures of "Figs. 3 to 6.

j :Fig'S shows another modification, and f FigxQ-shows'still another modification, for

"use with aninternally-threaded pipe.

is a view taken onthe line VI VI.

iNhile, as above indicated, the invention 1S susceptible of use in various ways, for convenience of descriptlon, I will her inafter describe it as employed in the protection of pipes.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2; 10 represents a portion of a pipe whose threaded end'isto be protected and 11 designates the protector.

These protectors may be stamped from sheet metal or otherwise formed.

The protector is flared orot bell" shape at its inner end, as indicated by the numeral 12. A series of pairs of cuts 13 are formed lnthe inner edge or the protector, by sawing or by means of dies, so that tongues 14c are formed which may be bent inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1, after the protector is in place upon the pipe. I This bending maybe effected by a hammer or other tool and the tongues serve as stop lugs to prevent the protector from slidingofl the pipe. In cases where it is desired to more effectively protect the threads against injury, I first placeupon the threaded pipe end a liner 15 of soft material, such as card board,

etc., and then slide the protector 11 into position over the 'lin, r and bend down the tongues 14. o The lining is of such thickness that it will be pressed somewhat against the threads,

'hus ollering frictional resistance to its withdrawal and its inner edge will either abut against or he beneath the struck down tongues, so that 1t will serve as a stop or key member for the tongues.

The outer edge o1 the extreme end of the pipe, holding it in a central position on the pipe, and thus more efiectively protecting the threads and the pipe end against injury. The portion 16 may extend diametrically entirely across the pipe end, to prevent the entry of foreign matter into the pipe, or in other words, may

be disk-shaped. 7

As above indicated, the tongues 14: may either engage the innermost thread turn to form stop lugs against withdrawal of the protector, or they may bear directly upon the peripheral surface of the lining.

By bending the tongues inward after plac- V the'protector 11 is bent n as shown at 16, to form an annular seat for ing of the protector, I avoid the necessity of screwing the protector into place upon the pipe end, and further reduce danger of in jury to the thread during the placing of the protector. Vvhen it is desired to remove the protector, a tool may be inserted beneath the tongues to bend them outwardly, or the pro tector may beiniscrewed, the inner ends of the tongues moving along the thread grooves as do the threads of ordinary collars.

In Figs. 3 and 4, I show a protector 17 formed somewhat after the manner of the protector 11, but instead of forming tongues by slitting or cutting the inner "flared end of the protector longitudinally, I form tongues 18 by making one cut or slit 19 in a direction longitudinally of the protector and another cut 20 in a direction circumferentially thereof, that is, at right angles to the longitudinal slit 19. Adjacent to each of these cuts 19 2O, I stamp depressions 21 upon the inner surface of the protector.

In applying the protector 17 to the pipe, I first place on the pipe one or more keys or stop members 22, which have threads that intertit with the threads of the pipe 10. These keys are so positioned on the pipe. that they will lie within the pockets or recesses 21 of the protector 17. The tongues 18 are then bent inward and serve as stop lugs which engage the key blocks 21, thus holding the protector against sliding movement oil the pipe end, the inner walls of the pockets 21 serving to hold the keys in close fitting rela tion with the pipe threads.

\Vhen it is desired to remove the protector, it may be simply unscrewed from the pipe, the key blocks following the pipe thread during such unscrewing movement, or the tongues 18 may be bent outwardly to their original positions, thus freeing them from the key or keys and permitting withdra 'al of the protector. The pocaets are stri'iclt up from the smaller diametral portion of the protector rather than from the flared portion thereof, so as not to increase the overall circumference of the protector, or cause protuberances on the protector that would interfere with rolling of the pipe during handling.

The key blocks 22 may be formed in any suitable manner, as for instance, by a stamping or casting operation, or by threading an annular metal ring and thereafter cutting it into sections.

Referring now to F 5 and 6, I show a protector 25 which resembles somewhat the protector 17, in that circuinferentially-extending tongues 26 are formed by cutting the flared end of the pipe for short distances lonitudina-lly alnd circ-ulmferentially thereof.

Iowever, instead of stamping pocket-s 27 from the body, or smaller diametral portion of the protector, I extend such pockets to approximately the extreme inner flared end of the protector. In Figs. 5 and 6, only two holding tongues are shown instead of four tongues, as in the other figures. It will, of course, be apparent, that the number of holding tongues and keys may be varied to suit conditions. Blocks 22 may be employed. in the structure of Figs. 5 and 6, as explained in discussion of Figs. 3 and 4;.

In Fig. 8, I show still another form of device wherein'a protector 28 has tongues 29 formed thereon somewhat after the manner of the tongues 14: of Figs. 1 and 2. However, instead of having such tongues bear directly upon the pipe or a lining, I bend them down over stop members 30, one of which may he provided for each tongue, or which stop 1110 in hers may be integrally formed and extend entirely around the pipe. It will be seen the. when the protector 28 tends to slide oii the pipe end, the stop members 30 will bind, by a" wedge-like action, beneath the inclined under surface of the tongues 29. \Vhen it desired to remove the protector 28 it is necessary only to bend the tongues 29 iu wardly.

Referring to Fig. 9, I show a protector ill for protecting an internally-threaded pipe. In this arrangement, a tongue 32 bent into engagement with a stop member 33 that will function after the manner of the stop mem ber 30 of Fig. 8, to prevent accidental withdrawal of the protector, the outer end of the protector being flanged or bent back, for holding the protector snugly in position and for protecting the pipe end.

I claim as my invention 1. A thread protector comprising a collar formed to fit over the threaded portion of a pipe, and being slit to provide a tongue upon its inner end that is capable of being bent inwardly, and a key member adapted to have locking engagement with the pipe thread and to be positioned in abutting engagement with the bent'in tongue.

2. A thread protector comprising a collar formed to fit over the threaded portion of a pipe, and being slit to provide a tongue upon its inner end that is capable of being bent inwardly. and a key member adapted to have locking engagement with the wall of the pipe and to be positioned for engagement by the bent-in tongue.

3. A thread protector comprising a collar formed to fit over the threaded portion of a pipe, the inner end of said collar being of flared or enlarged diameter, to provide an internal recess, a key member disposed within said recess and adapted to abut the wall of the pipe, and a tongue member carried by the collar and capable of being bent to partially embrace said key member.

4;. A thread protector comprising a collar formed to fit over the threaded portion of a pipe, and having an internal recess, a key member disposed in said recess and adapted vto seat, against the wall of the pipe, and a member carried by the protector and mov- ZlO able into abutting engagement with the inner end of the key.

5. A thread protector comprising a collar formed to fit over the threaded portion ofa pipe, and having an internal recess at its inner end, a threaded key member disposed in said recess and adapted to seat against the pipe threads, and a member carried by the protector in abutting engagement With the inner end of the key member.

6. A thread protector comprising a collar formed to fit over the threaded portion of a pipe, and a key member engaging the pipe at a point inside the collar, the collar having a weakened portion capable of being bent in Warclly to form a lug for engaging the said key member.

7. The method of protecting threaded members which comprises placing a threaded ke in operative relation to the threads of said member, sliding a protecting sleeve into position overlying the said key and threads, and deflecting a portion of said sleeve into abutting engagement with a radial surface of the key, to prevent accidental Withdrawal of the sleeve.

8. A thread protector comprising collar formedto fit over the threaded portion of a pipe and having an internal recess at its inner end with Walls extending radially, and a preformed threaded key member disposed Within said recess in position to seat against the pipe threads, the radially-extending Walls of the recess being of such depth as to confine the key against movement in axial andradial directions relative to the collar.

9. A thread protector comprising a collar formed to fit over the threaded portion of a pipe and having an internal recess at its inner end, the said end being flared, and a preformed threaded key member disposed Within said recess in position to seat against the pipe threads, the radially-extending Walls of the recess being of such depth as to confine the against movement in axial and radial directions relative to the collar.

In testimony whereof I, the said PERCY E. HUNTER, have hereunto set my hand.

PERCY E. HUNTER. 

